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References:
PTS, T.W and C.A.F. Rhys Davids, trans., Dialogs of the Buddha III #33 pp 228. On BuddhaDust: 4:16; 6:16
WP, Walshe, trans, The Long Discourses of the Buddha, #33, pp491
BD: DN #33: The Compilation: 4.16; 6:16 (Links to the Pali and to the Rhys Davids translation)
Mulapariyaya Resources section of BuddhaDust
PTS: Middle Length Sayings I, #1: Discourse on the Synopsis of Fundamentals, Horner, trans., pp 3.
WP: Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: The Root of All Things, Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi, trans., pp 83
Examining the Mulapariyaya -- Analysis
The Root Sequence, Bhikkhu Thanissaro, translation of the Mulapariyaya
Pali | MO | Hare | Horner | Punnaji | Bodhi | Rhys Davids | (Mrs)Rhys Davids | Thanissaro | Walshe | Woodward |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
£k¤s¤ na¾c¤yatana | space, the realm of limitless space | space, infinite, spheres | ether, the plane of infinite ether | Space | space, the base of infinite space | space, the infinity of space | space, the sphere of the infinitude of space | space, the sphere of infinite space |
£k¤s¤: [Sk. ¤k¤.sa fr. ¤+k¤.s, lit shining forth, the illuminated space] air, sky, atmosphere; space. |
PED on Line (no diacriticals): "Akasa" (last look this displays some code at the start: Amacr;, just ignore) |
The place just above the place
where allashizah..."
Imagine flying high above New York City at night (you are in a "plane" but it is one without seats and walls and flight attendants), with it's millions of lights. You know there are millions of beings there but you see none of them. Then you withdraw your awareness from the lights of the city and make yourself aware only of the limitless blackness of the night. Something like that.
"shining forth" need not be thought of as with "light", but should be thought of as by clear perceptability.
This is a location, not the jhana itself. The location is arrived at by way of the jhana, and this is the state of "living in, making a habitat of" this jhana.
Bodhi/Nanamoli describe entering the sphere this way: "not attending to the perception of forest, not attending to the perception of earth -- [he] attends to the singleness dependent on the perception of the base of infinite space" [The Shorter Discourse on Emptiness
From this one can see that describing this as a state necessarily beyond the Fourth Jhana is going too far. Usually one finds the formula for entering this state as: "Not paying attention to any material thing..." or "...to resistance" or "...to comparisons between this and that."
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Tuesday, September 23, 2003 1:32 AM